We are Autonomous Vehicle Accident Attorneys in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. As self-driving car technology advances, more and more accidents are occurring involving self-driving cars. The technology is not perfect, and errors still occur on the roadways. If you have been injured in an accident with an autonomous vehicle in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Maryland, you will likely have questions about your legal rights.

Why do self-driving vehicle accidents still occur?

There are a number of reasons why self-driving vehicles cause accidents. First, no computerized system is 100% foolproof. Even with an autonomous vehicle, a human being built and programmed the computer systems. To err is human, and what is born of man will contain the seeds of error. You simply cannot program out every possible scenario where an accident will need to be avoided using computer algorithms. Also, computers experience technical glitches, they crash, and they experience slow-downs in processing speeds. In any event, at the current time, even with automated vehicle technology, a human is responsible to ensure that if there is a glitch, a responsible and attentive human driver can take over. When that doesn’t happen, even autonomous vehicles crash.

Do I have a right to sue the car company?

The automobile manufacturers will do their best to prevent you from seeking justice in a court of law. If you purchased an autonomous vehicle that caused a crash, your auto manufacturer may attempt to block your claim entirely or force you into arbitration. And if you used a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft to order up a ride in an autonomous vehicle, the in-app terms of service may have included a jury trial waiver. But we are jury trial lawyers and we can assist you in your fight to enforce your constitutional right to a trial by jury.

What if I was a pedestrian injured by an autonomous vehicle?

One of the most significant risks with self-driving vehicle technology is the risk of a vehicle vs. pedestrian crash. Autonomous vehicles are programmed to recognize foreign objects in and near the roadway, but small objects and low contrast objects – for example, a child dressed in green clothing standing in front of similarly colored bushes or trees – pose a special risk that the vehicle won’t “see” the object. That’s a problem when the foreign object is a human being. Reconstructing the accident in order to determine the root cause of the failure to identify the hazardous condition is something that should be done as soon after the crash as possible. Our attorneys work with teams of engineers in reconstructing automobile accidents in order to identify what caused the collision and why. This is one reason why you need to contact a qualified autonomous vehicle accident attorney immediately after one of these types of crashes.

If you have questions about your legal rights after being injured in an accident involved an autonomous vehicle in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Maryland, please contact us to speak with one of our autonomous vehicle accident attorneys today.